European Artistic Craft Days 2024 – “From hand to hand”

The European Artistic Craft Days (EACD) will take place from April 2nd to 7th, 2024. This event was born in France in 2002 and since 2012 it has been organized in various European countries to highlight the craftsmanship and the work of Master Craftspeople. The initiative, promoted by INMA – Institut National des Metiers d’Art  in Paris, proposes a different theme every year: the theme for 2024 is “From Hand to Hand,” the transmission of knowledge from skilled hands to the hands of the artisans of the future.

In Tuscany and in Italy, the initiatives carried out during EACD are organized and coordinated by Artex, which, as every year, offers a rich calendar of events both on-site and online. The 2024 edition is realized in collaboration with UniCoop Florence, the Municipality of Florence, Officina Creativa by Artex, and is supported by the World Craft Council Europe and the Crafting the Future project, which is co-financed by the European Commission.

FREE WORKSHOPS AT OFFICINA CREATIVA BY ARTEX

On Saturday, April 6th, at the premises of Officina Creativa by Artex (via Giano della Bella 20, Florence), five free practical workshops will be held by Master Craftsmen Jacopo Allegrucci (collage and papier-mâché), Ilaria Innocenti (hat decoration), and Alessandro Bianchi (scagliola). These workshops represent a unique opportunity for adults and teenagers (16 years old minimum) to engage in the creation of artifacts under the guidance of experts. The workshops have a limited number and reservation is required: to reserve your spot, please send an email to artex@artex.firenze.it no later than Friday, April 5th.
For further information: https://www.artex.firenze.it/aggiornamenti/gema-6-aprile-2024-laboratori-gratuiti-presso-officina-creativa-by-artex/

EVENTS AND EXTRAORDINARY OPENINGS BY MASTER CRAFTSPEOPLE

Throughout the Tuscan territory and during the entire duration of GEMA, it will be possible to visit the workshops of the Master Craftspeople who have joined the initiative: attendees can witness the creation of extraordinary artifacts, participate in guided tours, and even directly experience various processing techniques.
For information and reservations: https://www.artex.firenze.it/aggiornamenti/gema-2-7-aprile-2024-le-aperture-dei-maestri-artigiani-toscani/

“DIALOGHI SULL’ARTIGIANATO”

“Dialoghi sull’Artigianato” (Dialogues on Craftsmanship) is a series conceived by Artex in 2021 to spread awareness of the heritage of Tuscan artistic crafts through the testimonies offered by Master Craftspeople during the meetings with industry experts, cultural figures, and relevant personalities. The dialogues are livestreamed on Artex’s Facebook and YouTube channels. Here are some information about the two dialogues about “Transmission and Innovation”:
– L’alto artigianato brand di qualità per il Made in Italy, on Wednesday, April 3rd, at 5:00 PM, with: Simone Calcinai (Master Artisan – Il Bronzetto, Florence) and Gabriele Goretti (Design professor at University of Pisa);
– L’artigianato è di moda?, on Friday, April 5th, at 3:15 PM, with: Franca Verteramo (Master Artisan, Prato) and Laura Antonini (Fashion journalist from Corriere Fiorentino).
For information on how to participate: https://www.artex.firenze.it/aggiornamenti/gema-3-e-4-aprile-2024-ore-17-00-dialoghi-sullartigianato/

ITALIAN ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS

Since 2023, Artex has been the coordinator of national-level initiatives during GEMA. For this edition, five Italian partners have joined the event: Fondo Plastico (Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Emilia Romagna); CNA Matera (Basilicata); Articity association (Umbria); Nearteneparte, Scampoletta and the Municipality of Acerra (Campania); Elisa Nava (Piemonte).
For further information on the initiatives: https://www.artex.firenze.it/aggiornamenti/gema-programma-degli-eventi-nazionali/

GEMA GOES SOCIAL

To increase the buzz of the initiative on social media, the Artex team has developed specific stickers for Instagram stories and GIFs for WhatsApp and Facebook chats, which can be reshared by anyone with the aim of spreading awareness of the initiative through online trends. Search for “GEMA 2024” and “Giornate Europee dei Mestieri d’Arte” in the GIF section of Instagram stories, or more generally in the Giphy pool and join the celebrations of the European Artistic Craft Days!

For further information, visit: www.journeesdesmetiersdart.fr